Apparatus for mixing fluids

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MIXING FLUIDS, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A CHAMBER HAVING A FRONT WALL HAVING ONLY A CENTRAL APERTURE THEREIN, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A CENTRAL EXIT DUCT COAXIAL WITH SAID FRONT WALL CENTRAL APERTURE AND FURTHER HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL WITH AT LEAST THE PORTION OF SAID PERIPHERAL WALL MOST REMOTE FROM SAID FRONT WALL CONVERGING TO SAID CENTRAL EXIT DUCT, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A LENGTH TO DIAMETER RATIO OF FORM 0.5 TO 5.0, INLET MEANS IN SAID PERIPHERAL WALL IN A SINGLE ANNULAR RING AROUND SAID EXIT DUCT, SAID INLET MEANS BEING ANGLED INWARDLY ALONG LINES WHICH CONVERGE AT A POINT ON AN AXIS BETWEEN SAID CENTRAL APERTURE IN THE FRONT WALL AND SAID CENTRAL EXIT DUCT WHICH IS FROM 1/4 TO 3/4 THE DISTANCE ALONG SAID AXIS FROM SAID CENTRAL APERTURE TO SAID EXIT DUCT, FIRST FLUID PRESSURE MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID FRONT WALL CENTRAL APERTURE FOR DELIVERING FROM 40-60% OF THE MASS OF THE FLUIDS TO BE MIXED INTO SAID CHAMBER AS A SUBSTANTIALLY CONICAL DIVERGENT STREAM HAVING A VELOCITY OF AT LEAST 10FT./SEC. WHICH STRIKES THE PERIPHERAL WALL AT A POINT WHICH FROM 1/4 TO 3/4 THE DISTANCE ALONG THE AXIS FROM THE SAID CENTRAL APERTURE TO THE EXIT DUCT, WHEREBY WHEN THE FLUIDS TO BE MIXED ARE DELIVERED INTO SAID CHAMBER THROUGH SAID FIRST FLUID PRESSURE MEANS AND THROUGH SAID INLET MEANS, THEY ARE DELIVERED IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONICAL PATTERNS WITH THE FLUID IN ONE CONICAL PATTERN TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THE FLUID IN THE OTHER CONICAL PATTERN, AND ALL OF THE CONTENTS OF THE FLUID STREAMS INTERMINGLE TO FORM A LARGE TORODIAL VORTEX WITHIN SAID CHAMBER WHICH LIES WHOLLY WITHIN THE BOUNDARY OF THE DIVERGENT STREAM.